Disposable absorbent products such as sanitary napkins, disposable diapers, and adult incontinence products are well known in the art. Such products typically have body-facing layers sometimes referred to as facing layers, and more commonly referred to as topsheets. Topsheets on disposable absorbent articles are fluid pervious sheets or webs; commonly nonwoven webs are utilized. Nonwoven webs provide fluid permeability, flexibility, and softness. Additionally, disposable absorbent products typically have absorbent cores for acquiring and storing fluids absorbed from the body and fluid impermeable backsheets to prevent acquired and/or stored fluids from contacting the body or clothing. Typically, the topsheet, backsheet and absorbent core, and optionally other layers disposed between, are disposed in a layered relationship and at least the topsheet and backsheet are typically joined along a peripheral edge.
Comfort and body fit are important design parameters for a commercially-successful absorbent article. Comfort and body fit, without sacrificing fluid handling performance are particularly important in catamenial devices such as sanitary napkins and pantiliners, as well as light incontinence pads. Such devices are designed to be worn by women via attachment to the crotch portion of their undergarments. Importantly, such devices should fit such that there is close, and preferably body-contacting, snug fit at least at the portion of the sanitary napkin positioned to receive body fluids.
Various means have been developed to improve the performance, comfort and body fit of disposable absorbent articles. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,959, issued Mar. 30, 1993 to Buell discloses a sanitary napkin having a flexure-resistant deformation element, the sanitary napkin having a convex upward configuration when the sanitary napkin is worn. The sanitary napkin relies upon the lateral compressive forces of the wearer's thighs in order to form or maintain a convex upward configuration when the sanitary napkin is worn. However, the sanitary napkin of Buell requires the addition of the deformation element, which adds cost and complexity to the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,494, issued Sep. 10, 2002 to Kashiwagi et al. discloses a sanitary napkin including a middle region and a lateral regions lying adjacent the middle region, the middle region being configured to have a rigidity lower than that of the lateral regions. One advantage claimed for Kashiwagi's device is improved fit due to napkin taking on an inverted U-shape when compressed from both sides. However, the operation of this device appears to be dependent upon a careful arrangement of adhesive spots and/or a longitudinally-oriented groove to facilitate the required deformation.
Other attempts at improved body fit include U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,496, issued Sep. 10, 2002 to Mizutani, which discloses an absorbent laminate with a deformation inducing means. The deformation inducing means is said to produce convex deformation of a panel member toward a skin contactable side of the laminate. However, the laminate of Mizutani requires relatively expensive elastically stretchable members.
Still another attempt at improving body fit of sanitary napkins is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,503,233 issued Jan. 7, 2003 to Chen et al. The article of Chen et al. is said to enhance body fit by way of a combination of downward-deflecting crease lines and an upward-deflecting shaping line are used in outer and central absorbent members, respectively, to achieve a form-fitting geometry in the crotch region. The form-fitting geometry is described as “W-shaped.” However, the device of Chen et al. does not appear to provide for reliable body fit since the article is considered to successfully flex into a W-shape if only 60% of women who wear the article find that the W-shape is achieved and maintained in use.
Accordingly, there is a need for a disposable absorbent article having improved body fit that can be simply and economically manufactured.
Additionally, there is a need for a sanitary napkin capable of reliably achieving an improved body-fitting profile.